A rate increase also approved Thursday means residential customers' bills would go up by 7.7 percent, or an average of $7.30 per month.

The board said the rate jump was necessary to fill a $60 million hole in its budget for next year. Much of that is tied to restarting the flood-damaged Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, a topic that led some concerned voices to ask for a delay in the vote.

The board told citizens it understood the concerns, but there was no way around the rate hike.

Rates for commercial customers would increase by 5 percent, and rates for industrial customers would go up 8.5 percent.

OPPD has set up an office at its headquarters building at 16th and Farnam streets to help customers who have questions about the higher rates.

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